Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-03-04
4 WAY DO WV 50 Urn ~ DIXIE
A Fisherman's Luck in Florida,
AND WHAT THE ARTISTS EYE SAW
BY THE WAY.


MORE HILLS.
Correspondence Of The Phoenix
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA.
Time, 10 A. NJ. wind, S. W. thermom-
eter, G5 persons, my friend, self and col
ored gentleman Latter had Just turned
up in my quarters to say the steam launch
would start in half an hour for Matanzas
from Slaggetts mill, and we were expected
to he ON hand. We had been ready the
previous day, but the launch didn't turn
up, 50 we unpacked, with the above result
| doubted our making connections, but
my friend told me we'd try it, and we did,
successfully. For baggage, two light lance
wood fly rods of Chubbs, landing net, pot
ted meats, two loaves of bread and some
oranges 1t was 50 warm ! took no vest,
but W took Shetland rug and ulster.
The boat carries no passengers, being used
to tow up log-raft from Matanzas, where
the logs are brought by steam tramway
from the logging camp twelve miles inland:
50 We had lots Of room for our impeachment"
and were soon boiling our way down the
Matamzas river on our trip Of fourteen
miles
The scenery was not without "a certain
wicrd charm, especially in the setting sun,
which relieves the tall yellow pine wood,
and disentanglcs the palmetto plmnes against
IL mellow sky. Even the ncver-en ending
marshes, with long spurs of oyster banks at
low tide ON which hocks of white and blue
herons are feeding. have IA peculiar senti
ment Of their own.
BY ] O'Clock we had tied to the dock at
Matanzas and were listening to the low,
deep booming of the surf on the bar few
miles away. 4 mile to the eastward the
gray, cracked walls of the fort, long un-
tenanted rose from the marsh, with back
ground of sandhills crowned with Spanish
bayonet ami palmetto and bay scrub. Be
hind us to the west the marsh melted into
Il belt of pine woods intersectcd by hum
mucks or ridges of magnolia aud oak
growth, through which the track wound
like serpent. The other two boundaries
were water salt water at that, and had
thirst unqucnchable-as usual in similar
circumstances We had dozen of ale. So
+
found the train was not expected till Pm.
The boat took the raft aud disappeared,
and the only occupants of the horizon were
ourselves and the nigger- in the boom max
ing up fresh raft Decided 10 fish for
sheephead borrowed "a couple of lines.
walked across the trestle aud captured
three or four dozen fiddler crabs. aud pro
cceded to ,it down on the dock and fish.
/ By pm. we hal. heaven knows how many
/ crabs, but no fish.
/ Tram late as usual When it came we
/ got ON and proceeded through the sunset
| glory, winding our way 10 camp. Jumped
of and found the manager away The
/ store keeper had no room for any one, and
/ of course Niger shanty was not 10 he
/ thought of, 50 ! enquired for IA hole in the
ground and some dead leaves Finally
memory came to the store keeper aid, and
he directed our attention to log shanty
just vacated 10y a widow NO, it diat til
thy-jess trashy yer know jess how a wo-
man iS--jess trashy, that's all. One Of MS
had to 20 IA mile off in the woud~ to see
about boat next day SO I volunteered in
the gathering dusk to what | could do
in the way of finding it, and my friend W.
agreed to take down the stuff and have Il
fire in the cabin to guide me back. WASN'T
very confident of finding anything hut pine
stumps but did hit the road and came ia
picket fence and nine dogs ON the right
side-the nsde-ofit Hearing something
resembling Gabriel's horn, old Gordon came
out, drove of the dogs, and invited me in.
picked dozen oranges and talked bust
ness straight for five minutes and departed
strong in the idea that early dawn would
see Gordon lowering around our fire ready
for start TO the creek. 1t was pitch-dark
long before | got within sight Of the fire
There no twilight here, aud when the sun
goes down night comes along as if she had
forgotten something and was in IA hurry Il
find it, W. hal been in Australia, and
thought the "cooey' would strike him bet
ter than the Cracker" shout. and it did and
finally landed by the welcome blaze W
looked Seedy said he had been made sick
by sweeping out corner Of the place and
invited me to look at it, did and | won
dered for brief period what the store
keeper would call filthy, and wondered fol
IA longer period how | was going to find IT,,
softest of those boards to lie on, and what
was going Ia throw over me. Went out
and we had ale, bread, tongue and coffee
no water nearer than the store, one fourth
mile away. And in this shanty, with NJ
window, human being abode and called il
home
For iirewood we levied ON a hog pen. W
found ii section Of IA cane chair and AN emp
ty box and so we lit our pipes and smoke
awhile in silence while memory went drlv
ing into camp fires long gone out, with derp
snow drifts hiding all traces of tn,
past. The pines began to feel the land
breeze that always sets in on the coast anc
w. started an old English ballad | remind
ed him of another, and 50 we kept it up til
all the old songs and the hog-pen were run
out ! looked at the stars and made up my
mind it was past midnight, when a vii,
cat began squalling and was answered 10y
another down the creek, and 1 retired t.
bed W lay ON his coat, which he olicre,
me and refused as he was not accustom
ed to quite so much roughing it, and fpun,
u couple of logs, put some papers ON tor
for a pillow and lay down. No, not to sleep
Soon the wind rose to gale and it grew
cold | got up and made a discovery;
whole lot of old papers; these carefully sort
ed over by candle light, and placed soln'
under me and wrapped some around m'
D nj In "A fsb ms taIt
without a coat again Twas trying hard Il
imagine l was comfortable, but | couldn'
do it successfully. | heard u low groai
from W. he rose and lit his sperm candle
Give it up he said, and moved out of tn
shanty | Judged he was finishing up TIN
/ hog-pen on the fire, 50 took his coat p.'o tenn
and soon fell asleep. After awhile he cam
back. rendered unto Caesar what wa
Crsars, and taking my precious paper
moved out Great heavens, what are yol
going to do with those Internal papers, 5 /:
IL don't know replied sadly, II reall
don't" And / didn't. But held them il
? my arms tenderly and sat ON the box b.
the fire, and 10 a spark of inspiration cam
to me l turned up the table ON end, pin
ned a paper ON the off leg and a piece q
wood fastened one at the corners. sprea'
/. the rest of my precious burden ON tn
white sand, drew up all that was left Of
, the hog pen within easy reach and curse'
myself for not having thought Of this be
=. fore, and fell asleep in no time,
! W.. grunt of astonishment woke me
was daylight. He hadn't slept at ALL Mad
some coffee, and while we We're drinkin
/, Gordon hove in sight among the pine trees